Don't panic
by T'Pau Silver
Summary: Crona and Maka are trapped in a lift. Crona/Maka


**Don't panic**

Written for dailyprompt at dreamwidth.

"Maka, are you sure this is safe?" I ask, clinging to her arm. She reaches up and squeezes my hand and my heart jumps a little in my chest in a way I'm not sure is healthy.

"Of course," she says, "It's just a lift."

It doesn't look like just a lift to me. I mean, I've seen plenty of lifts before, and I use the ones at Shibusen sometimes when I'm moving big things...but this lift is different. To start with, it made a creaking noise when it stopped. The inside is nasty, there's wallpaper on the walls but it's peeling of and it doesn't look to stable. We had to pull a scary metal sliding door open to even get this far...

"Come on," Maka says, stepping forward. I let her drag me behind, looking suspiciously around the lift as Maka slams the door shut behind us and hits the floor we want. With the door closed the room seems horribly small and when it judders as it starts to move I squeeze my eyes closed and clutch Maka's arm as hard as I can, I don't know how to cope with something like this.

"See, fine," Maka says, patting my hand. The lift judders again, only worse than last time. Suddenly, it feels like the floor is dropping out from our feet. My eyes fly open to see Maka looking as shocked as me as the lift drops faster then we can fall and I'm really really glad then I clung to her to hard now.

Then the lift stops with a bang and we hit the floor, the impact forcing the breath from my body. I struggle for a moment, still clutching Maka's arm, fighting to force breath into my body, and then the lights go out.

I don't know how to cope with this I don't know how to cope with this I don't know how to cope with this and there's a horrible screaming noise and I don't even realise I'm making it until Maka grabs me and pulls me into her arms and starts whispering that it's going to be ok into my ear. I wrap my arms around her as tightly as I can and hide my head in her shoulder. If I can just hold on to Maka and not think about anything else then maybe I won't panic so much?

Just think about Maka, nothing but Maka. Think about Maka and not the horribly darkness stuck in this horribly old lift with no way to escape and we're going to die here and I don't know how to breath any more and what if Maka dies here and I die here and it's the worst thing ever.

"Crona, breath, deep breaths. It's going to be ok. Please don't panic. It's going to be ok, trust me..."

I take a deep breath and hold it, then when I can't hold it any more I let it out. Maka is stroking my hair. Maka is holding me so close that I should be embarrassed to be so near someone, but it's ok if it's Maka. Maka says everything is going to be ok and Maka is the most amazing person in the world so if Maka says something, it must be true.

Breath out, and in again.

Maka's still holding me. It's still dark, but Maka's still holding me. There must be a way out, even with old junk like this there must be a way out. Even if there isn't, the others will come looking for us soon and find us. It'll be ok.

Maka loosens her hold on me a little and I force myself to do the same, thought I only want to cling tighter. Then she says something about checking for exits and lets go of me entirely and it's all I can do to not start screaming again. I can hear her moving around me, and I'm so glad that I know nothing else is in the elevator or I'd panic again. I don't know how to cope with being alone like this. Ok, focus on Maka. I can hear her still. I listen as she tries to force the door, but she can't. Then she tries to reach the ceiling, feeling for a trap door, but I don't hear anything.

I push myself back until I hit a wall then follow it to a corner, curling up on myself. We're going to die here. There's no way out and we're going to die here. I shut my eyes and push my face into my knees so I don't have to see it. We're going to die, there's no food. Nobody will look for us here and we're going to die. Maka's going to die. I should have stopped her getting in, I should have saved here somehow.

Hands on my arm and I scream before I can help it, but it's Maka, looking worried at me. She grabs me again and holds me close but it's easier to ground myself this time. Maka is here, everything will be ok if Maka is here. I love Maka, she's the most wonderful person in the world. Everything will be ok if Maka's here.

Then I realise I can see Maka. Not much but...there's a little light. I look up and a trap door is open in the ceiling, a faint light coming down through it.

"We can't get out, we're too far down, but when the others come looking for us it'll make us a lot easier to find," she says, and I can see the grin on her face, just. So, not safe yet...but close. Maka seems happy anyway so everything must be ok if Maka's happy.

It's a little easier to breath now that I can see a door, and Maka's arm is still around me so I can't panic too much, things can't be too bad if Maka is still here with me.


End file.
